Water management bill advances, offering $750 million for Everglades restoration

Today the State Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee advanced a bill to offer $750 million dollars to Everglades restoration. The bill’s supporters also want to see smarter spending and more transparency in how water management districts operate.

Republican state senator Jason Brodeur sponsored the bill and hailed it as offering historic support for Everglades restoration and flood planning.

“A great opportunity for us to return to the core mission of flood control and have some real spending oversight for our continued mission both with the South Florida [Water Management District,] with the governor, and with the federal partnership that we have with the Army Corps of Engineers to make sure that we have our commitment to the Everglades front and center.”

Districts will now be allowed to hold referendums on levying property taxes for water supply projects as well as water quality and flood protection efforts. Brodeur said this offers Floridians quote, “a stronger voice to decide whether or not to increase their taxes to finance the construction of capital improvement projects,” unquote. But he said property taxes won’t be the only way districts can pursue funding.

“The way that the water management districts are funded either through the state or federal partnership is one of the avenues that they have. They also have taxing authority now. It’s part of your TRIM notice that you see that the water management districts assess a slight fee there.”

TRIM notices refer to truth and millage, meaning taxpayers can find out how much they owe in taxes and to which governmental taxing authority. The property appraiser sends this information to the property owner through what’s called a TRIM notice. The bill also creates a loan fund to help districts afford flooding and sea level rise resiliency project costs. Money for the fund will come from a gambling deal with the Seminole tribe. The deal was made for allowing the tribe to offer online sports betting statewide and provide games such as craps at its casinos. The water management bill advanced favorably with unanimous support from the Environment and Natural Resources Committee for WMNF News, I’m Josh Holton.